Closing machine with oval container and cover positioning device



Dec. 1, 1953 T, v c c 2,660,968

- CLOSING MACHINE WITH OVAL CONTAINER AND COVER POSITIONING DEVICE Filed July 20, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

Ja/x/v r L/I/AC/CY/ BYM' M 4 7' 7'08/VE Y Dec. 1, 1953 T. LIVACICH 2,660,968

J. CLOSING MACHINE WITH OVAL CONTAINER AND COVER POSITIONING DEVICE Filed July 20, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N I INVENTOR.

' ATTOEA/E s- Dec- 1. 1 J. T. LIVACICH 6 6 CLOSING MACHINE WITH OVAL CONTAINER AND COVER POSITIONING DEVICE Filed July 20, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 id i d INVENTOR.

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' Dan x9 11 TTOE/VE 6' D 1. 1953 J. T. LlVAClCH 2,660,968

CLOSING MACHINE WITH OVAL CONTAINER AND COVER POSITIONING DEVICE Filed July 20, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. JO/l/V TL/l/AC/(H M A 0 D c. 1, 1953 J. T. LIVACICH 68 CLOSING MACHINE WITH OVAL CONTAINER AND COVER POSITIONING DEVICE Filed July 20, 1949 5- Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

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ATTOE/VE 5 Patented Dec. 1, 1953 rm OFFICE CLOSING MACHINE WITH OVAL CONTAINER AND COVER POSITIONING DEVIGE John T. Livacich, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 20, 1949, Serial No. 105,757

Claims.

The present invention relates to a can or container closing machine and has particular reference to devices for aligning oval or oblong cans and their covers in superposed relation preparatory to scaling the covers on the cans. I

In the automatic feeding of oval or obling cans and covers into superposed position for assembly as an incident in attaching the cover to the can, considerable difficulty is experienced in attempts to prevent the cans and covers from skewing or shifting angularly during their advancement toward the assembling station. After one or the other of these can parts shifts into a skewed position so that they are out of axial alignment when they reach the assembling station and hence when they are brought together, they do not properly nest or fit one within the other for the closing or seaming operation. Such misaligned can parts are the cause of many jams in closing machines and are responsible for many machine break downs and may also result in leaking seams or joints.

An object of the invention is the provision in a can closing machine of devices which operate to feed cans or can bodies and their end members,

which because of their shape are difficult to handle, and to properly align them in axial relation for the attachment of th cover to the can or can body.

Another object is the pro-vision of such devices which operate to properly align cans or can bodies and their covers at high speed rates of production and while the can parts are fed into the machine in substantially continuous processions. I

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a can closing machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the broken lines 22 in Fig. 1, with parts to properly positioning the can for the reception of a cover; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged schematic views showing a cover and certain fragmentary parts of the machine in different positions as an incident to properly positioning the cover relative to a can to which it is to be attached.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of a can closing machine such as that disclosed in United States Patent 2,447,525 issued August 24, 1948 to R. E. J. Nordquist on Can Closing Machine.

In such a machine filled cans A (Fig. 1) and covers B are fed into the machine-along different paths of travel and are brought together intometal cans, although the invention is equally well adapted. to cans and covers of other shapes and materials.

The cans A to be assembled with the covers B are .fed into the machine toward the assembling station C from any suitable source of supply in a substantially endless straight line procession, arranged in spaced and timed order and in a vertical or upright position. The cans shown in the drawings are one piece drawn cans but the invention is equally well adapted to cans having bodies with bottoms seamed thereto or to merely the bodies alone.

The entering cans A move along a straight line runway l I (Figs. 1 and 2) having a pair of spaced and parallel L-shaped supporting and guiding rails I2. These rails extend toward and terminate at the assembling station C. They are held in place by brackets l3, I4 secured to a horizontal table !5 which is part of a frame It which constitutes the mainframe of the machine.

Advancement of the cans A along the runway I! in spaced and timed order is effected by an endless double chain conveyor l8 which is disposed adiacent the can runway H in spaced and parallel relation thereto and which operates over uitable vertically disposed sprockets l9. The upper or feeding run of the conveyor is supported and guided on a horizontal support rail 2| which is carried in the table l6 and in a bracket 22 located at the assembling station C. Feed dogs 24 secured to the conveyor l8 at spaced intervals therealong engage behind the cans A and feed them toward the assembling station. These feed dogs areidisposed in-a horizontalposition and extend laterally from theconveyor into the can runway ll.

As a can A approaches the assembling station C it transfers from the can runway support rails [2 to a vertically movable'lifter pad 2 5 which is moved into position under the advancing can. There are a plurality of these lifter pads.26..dis-

posed adjacent the outer periphery ,of-a hor-izon shown in .United StatesPatent .7 1,601.,9l0 issued October .5, 11 9,2.6.,to.P. W. .Fleischer. et..al". on .MultispindleiDoilble J Seamer.

Ve tical .movement ,of the lifter ,pads .26 .as will be hereinafter .explainedis .eifected byapair of cam rollers .31, 32 which are carried on .de-

pending stemsrof the lifter pads .and which operate against .a pair ,of conventional .cam

tracks '33,. 34 zformed on .the bearing bracket {'10. These lifter pads j26 are disposed below .and in vertical alignment with the can closing .or seaming heads vvD hereinbefore vmentioned, the .heads being supported on the rotatable sleeve 2.8 so that they travel with the pads an'dlare actuated in the conventionalmanner as disclosed in the above mentioned Fleischer patent.

As a can A transfers .to.a'lifterpadlfiadiacent the assemblingstationC, it also enters'an aligning pocket 36 (Figs. 1,5 and'fi) in a'half mold 3fl locatedon a level with'the can and disposed in axial alignment .with' a seaminghea'dI'D and a centering ring 38 (see also Fig. 2) ilocated :be-

tween the head and the mold at a level just above the advancing can. There are a plurality of these molds "3'5 and centering rings 38, one ,for each lifter pad -26 and they are formed on a turret '39 which extends outfromthe rotatable sleeve 28;

Each of the pockets 36 in themolds 3'! are precisely shaped to -fit and properly glocate or align a can A received therein in axial alignment with a correspondingly :shaped tapered throat 41 (see also Fig. 13) in the centering rings 38.

Hence as the turret '39 rotates, "it swings amold 3! in a circular path substantially tangent at station C to the straight path of the cans A-and into position adjacent and partially surrounding a can A as it approaches the assembling station C on a lifter pad 126 and both mold and can move forward together at substantially the same'speed. During this travel of the mold and the can, the can is pushed into the mold in :a fully seated position properly aligned with the centering ring loca-ted immediately above ,it.

Positioning of a can A into a mold 31 is effected by a can locating finger 44' (Figs. '1, 3, 5 and 6) which is rotatable in time with the advancement of the can and engageable with the can as it approaches the assembling station C. There area plurality of these locating fingers '44 and they are attached to the outer ends of spider arms '45 of a spider wheel 46 disposed adjacent the path of travel of the cans entering the machine. The spider wheel 46 (see also Fig. 2) is mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 48 journaled in a bearing bracket 49 bolted to the main frame [6. The shaft is rotated continuously in time with the turret 39 by a gear 5| which is .secured to rthe lower end of the shaft andwhich'mesheswith and is driven by a gear 52 secured to the lower end of the sleeve 28.

Through the rotation of the spider wheel 46 wa-llocatingfinger144.moves into position along side'of and toward the rear of a can A as the can.approachestheassembling station C as best .shown-in-Fig. ,5. and forces the can laterally into .itsmold 3l'whi-lesl-ightly rotating the can on its axis, if required, within the mold to fully seat the "can -and-'toproperly locate it relative to the abovedisposed centering ring 38 as shown in Fig. 6.

Simultaneously with the .seatingand locating of a can A'in;its'moldl3'l relative to its centering ring38, acover' B is advanced'fromany suitable source of supply and is seatedin'the centering ring in "axial alignment with the can. The covers Barefed' in a "horizontal position .along a :curvedpath oftravel'adjacent the outer ends of 'the ..arms 45 of the spider wheel 46. The covers are supported and guided :by..a pair of spaced and parallelcurved tracks 56 (Figs. 1, 2 ands) whichterminate'atthe assembling station'C. 'The tracks are elevated sufliciently to permit the rotating "centering rings 38 to pass under them. At the assembling station the cover supporting ledges 'of the tracks are cut away so as 'to'permit an advanced cover to fall from the tracksintdthe ring. Advancement'of the'covers alongthe curved tracks 56 is efiected by feed fingers '51' which are attached to the outer ends of the arms 45 "of the spider'wheel 4B;

-In order to' correct any skewing-of "the covers B 'as they advance along the curved "tracks 56 so as to bring the covers intopropenposition before dropping them into the centering ring 38, the feedfingers51 are formed with a'curved face 6| -(-'see Figs."'7 and '8) whichen'gages against the back edge 'of the cover within 'its outer trailing quadrant. These feed fingers =co-op'erate with two'p'airs of spaced locating'lug-s 62163 formed on top of each centering ring 36. The pair of spaced lugs "62 project up from the ring within its leading inner quadrant and the pair of lugs Biprojebt up within it's trailing inner quadrant. The outer curvedtrack 56 is cut away -to'provide clearance for'theselugs. 'The inner 'facesof the lugs are flush with the inner face of the centering-'ring throa't 4 Hence as a; cover 3 propelled by a feeding finger 5'1 approaches th'e .assemblingstation C, itmovesint'o position over anadvanoing centering ring 38 while the' mold fl bel'owthering is'simultaneously receiving a can A. and the "feeding finger pushes the cover forward so that the leading edgeof thecover enga'ges against the leading pair of locating lugs 62 on the cente'rin'gring, as best shown in Fig. 7. As the ring and the feed finger continue to advance the finger presses against the trailing edge of the cover and forces it inwardly whilesimultaneously rotating it into position untilthe cover edge engages-both of the pairs of locating lugs 62, 63 as shown in Fig. 8.

When the cover B is in this position against the locating lugs 62,63 it is ina'xial and peripheral alignment with the throat H of the centering ring 38 and "the cover thereupon rides off the supporting tracks 56 and falls into the throat of the ring. The falling cover is received on a horizontal ledge 65 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and '7) formed on the centering ring within its throat. This ledge projects just sufficient to engage the usual curled edge on the flange of the cover so as not to interfere with the flange and thus locates the cover in superposed relation with the can A fully seated in its mold 31. v

To facilitate this proper centering of the covers B in the centering rings 38, the covers move along a straight line path of travel for a short distance during the approach of the covers to the assembling station 0. This is efiected by the assembling station being located on the center line of the turret 39 taken perpendicular to the straight line runway 12 slightly in advance of a parallel center line of the spider wheel 46 also perpendicular to the runway. This short straight line approach-thus extends between points of tangenoy of the cover path and turret mold path with the straight path of cans A.

With a can A and a cover B, thus properly located relative to each other, the lifter pad 26 lifts the can up into and through the centering ring 38 and thus raises the can into engagement with the cover and further raises the can and its now superimposed cover up into the seaming head D where the cover is united with the can.

Following the seaming operation the lifter pad lowers the sealed can through the centering ring and the can is thereupon discharged from the machine in the usual manner.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a machine for attaching covers to oval bodies, the combination of a continuously rotating turret, a cover centering ring on said turret and having an oval opening therein surrounded by a horizontal cover supporting ledge and a tapered throat extending upwardly and outwardly from said ledge for guiding a cover downwardly onto said ledge, said centering ring also having raised locating lugs adjacent the top of said tapered throat for locating said cover above said tapered throat, a mold on said turret in axial alignment with said oval opening in the centering ring and for receiving an oval body therein, continuously moving body feeding means adjacent said turret for feeding a body to said mold in a path substantially tangent with the path of the mold at the point of transfer, parallel tracks over said body feeding means for conducting a cover to said cover centering ring in a path substantially tangent with the path of the ring at the point of transfer, a cover feed finger continuously advancing said cover along said tracks to said centering ring and cooperating with said raised locating lugs to locate said cover above said tapered throat, and a body locating finger cooperating with said mold to align said body with said centering ring and the cover there in, a seaming head above said centering ring for uniting said cover and body in an end seam, and a lifter below and in axial alignment with said mold and centering ring for raising said body through said ring into loose assembly with said cover and into seaming position in said seaming head.

2. In a machine for attaching covers to oval bodies, the combination of a continuously ro-. tating turret, a cover centering ring on said turret and having an oval opening therein surrounded by a horizontal cover supporting ledge and a tapered throat extending upwardly and outwardly from said ledge for guiding a cover downwardly onto said ledge, said centering ring also having raised locating lugs adjacent the top of said tapered throat for locating said cover above said tapered throat, a mold on said turret in axial alignment with said oval opening in the centering ring and for receiving an oval body therein, continuously moving body feeding means adjacent said turret for feeding a body to said mold in a path substantially tangent with the path of the mold at the point of transfer, parallel tracks over said body feeding means for conducting a cover to the top of said tapered throat in a path substantially tangent with the path of the throat at the point of transfer, a continuously rotating arm adjacent said tracks and having a cover feed finger and a body locating finger thereon, said cover feed finger advancing said cover along said tracks to said centering ring and cooperating with said raised locating lugs to locate said cover above said tapered throat, and said body locating finger cooperating with said mold to align said body with said centering ring and the cover therein, a seaming head above said centering ring for uniting said cover and body in an end seam, and a lifter below and in axial alignment with said mold and centering ring for raising said body through said ring into loose assembly with said cover and into seaming position in said seaming head.

3. In a machine for attaching covers to oval bodies, the combination of a continuously rotating turret, a cover centering ring on said turret and having an oval opening therein surrounded by a horizontal cover supporting ledge and a tapered throat extending upwardly and outwardly from said ledge for guiding a cover downwardly onto said ledge, said centering ring also having raised locating lugs adjacent the top of said tapered throat for locating said cover above said tapered throat, a mold on said turret in axial alignment with said oval opening in the centering ring and for receiving an oval body therein, continuously moving body feeding means adjacent said turret for feeding av body to said mold along a straight line path of travel tangent to the path of said centering ring, parallel curved tracks over said body feeding means for conducting a cover to said cover centering ring along a curved path tangent to said straight line path of the body, the point of tangency between these paths being spaced from the point of tangency between said mold and body paths, a continuously rotating arm adjacent said curved tracks and having a cover feed finger and a body locating finger thereon, said cover feed finger advancing said cover along said tracks to said centering ring and cooperating with said raised locating lugs to locate said cover above said tapered throat, and said body locating finger cooperating with said mold to align said body with said centering ring and the cover therein, a seaming head above said centering ring for uniting said cover and body in an end seam, and a lifter below and in axial alignment with said mold and centering ring for raising said body through said ring into loose assembly with said '7 cover and into seaming position in said seaming head.

4. In a machine for attaching covers to oval can bodies, the combination of a mold movin continuously in'a predetermined path for receiving'an oval can body, a continuously movingbody feeding device for feeding said can body into saidmold in a path substantially tangent to the path of the mold, a cover centering ring having an oval opening and a surrounding support ledge therein disposed adjacent said mold in axial and peripheral alignment therewith, said "ring having raised locating lugs disposed adjacent "one side of said oval opening, a cover runway leading toward and terminating adjacent and substantially tangent to the path of the top of said centering ring, a cover feed finger disposed in said runway and located ofi-center relative to the axis of the oval opening in said centering ring on the side opposite said locating lugs,-a movable'suppor-t for said 'feed finger, and means for continuously moving said support and its finger for feeding an oval cover along said 'runwayand into said centering ring and for pressing the cover against said locating lugs to rotate the cover on its axis so that it will axially and peripherally align with and fall into said oval opening in spaced relation to said body for subsequent attachment thereto.

'5. Ina machine for attaching covers "to oval can bodies, the combinationof a mold moving contiuously in a predetermined path for receiving an oval can body, a continuously moving body feeding device for feeding said can body into said mold in a path substantially tangent to the path of the mold, a cover centering ring having an oval opening and a surrounding support ledge therein disposed adjacentsaid mold inaxi'al and peripheral alignment therewith, said ring having raised locating lugs disposed adjacent one side'of ill 8 said oval opening, a cover runway leading toward and terminating adjacent and substantially tangent toth'e pathof the'top of said centering ring, a cover feed finger disposed in said runwayand located off-center relative to the axis of the-oval opening in said centering ring on the side opposite said'locating lugs, a movable'support for said feed finger, means for continuously moving said support and its finger for feeding an oval cover along said runway and into said centering ring and for pressing the cover against said locating lugs to rotate the coveron its axis so that it will axially and peripherally align with and fall-into said oval'opening in spaced relation to said body, and a body locating finger carried on said support adjacent said cover feed finger and in adifferent plane and oiT-ce'nter relative to the axis of the oval opening on thesame side as said cover feed finger'for engaging the body in the mold and for turning the body on its-axis to'locate said body in peripheral alignment with said cover for a subsequent uniting of the-cover with the body.

JOHN T. LIVACICH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,141,502 Stock June 1, 1915 1,370,807 Gray Mar. 8, 1-921 1,486,151 McIntyre Mar. 11, 1924 1,506,099 Wilson et a1 Aug. 26, 1-924 1,620,796 Blankenhorn Mar. 15, 1927 2,047,423 Mallory -July- 14, 1-936 2,188,939 Cameron Feb. 6, 1940 2,362,84l8 Pearson Nov. 14, 1944 2,378,855 Kronquest June 19, 1945 2,399,203 Cameron Apr. 1946 2,578,772 Ames Dec. 18, 1951 

